Carlotta Spallino in Io me lo merito at Teatro Sala Umberto, March 13, 2027

Carlotta Spallino Io me lo merito, her stand-up comedy monologue, is at Teatro Sala Umberto, Via della Mercede 50 (00187 Rome), on Saturday, March 13, 2027 at 21:00, for one night only. The show is written by Spallino herself, with graphics by Ruggero Pane and production by Altra Scena. The prices published on the theater's official page are €22 for poltrona A and €16 for balconata A. The hall is in the Colonna district, between Piazza di Spagna and the Trevi Fountain, about a 10-minute walk from the Spagna and Barberini stops of metro A. Tickets are bought on the official Sala Umberto website, salaumberto.com, which links to the presale circuit authorized by the organizers, or at the box office. The theater also accepts the teacher card.

Language: performed in Italian. No English version or English surtitles are announced.

Bad breakups, passive-aggressive psychologists, improbable dates, traumas turned into personalities: Io me lo merito is the first one-hour show by a Roman comedian born in 1991, who came to stand-up after years of working in international organizations. A single evening, on a Saturday, in a hall in the center that dates from 1882 and was built for variety.

Carlotta Spallino in Rome: date, time and tickets

Carlotta Spallino's evening at Sala Umberto is on Saturday, March 13, 2027, starting at 21:00: it is the only Rome date listed on the theater's official page.

The time

The show begins at 21:00. For an evening of stand-up it's best to be in the hall at least a quarter of an hour early: ticket pickup and the coat check take time on a Saturday night, and the first jokes are often the ones that set the relationship with the audience.

The prices

According to the table on the official page, the full-price ticket costs €22 in poltrona A, in the stalls, and €16 in balconata A. There are only two sections, with a difference of €6.

Where to buy

Tickets are bought on the official Sala Umberto website, from the button on the show's page, which links to the authorized presale circuit, or at the box office. For bookings and information the theater lists the phone number 06 6794753, the WhatsApp number 345 9409718 and the address prenotazioni@salaumberto.com.

The teacher card

Sala Umberto accepts the teacher card: for teachers it is a way to use the bonus for an evening of comedy, as well as for drama.

Io me lo merito: the show

Io me lo merito is a stand-up comedy monologue that the official presentation describes as ironic, cynical and above all sincere: in it Carlotta Spallino recounts the emotional disaster of today's thirtysomethings.

The themes

The text from Sala Umberto lists the ingredients of the evening: bad breakups, passive-aggressive psychologists, toxically affectionate male friendships, improbable dates, traumas turned into personalities. In the background a constant question: how do you get out of it?

Exes, plants and diagnoses

Among the announced subjects are historic exes, erotic mansplaining, plant courses so as not to die alone and some surreal medical diagnoses. It is the typical material of contemporary stand-up: private life, exposed without filters and turned into comic storytelling.

An exhausted generation

The presentation speaks of a tragicomic story of an emotionally exhausted generation that keeps ordering another drink anyway. The closing of the text is a statement of poetics: suffering is fine, laughing about it is better, and above all we deserve it.

Autobiography

The sheet from the production company, Altra Scena, describes it as an autobiographical journey through traumas, expectations and terrible decisions. It is the comedian's first one-hour show: an important step for someone coming from the short sets of stand-up nights.

What stand-up comedy is, for first-timers

Stand-up comedy is a form of comedy in which a single performer speaks directly to the audience, without scenery or characters, generally starting from their own experience.

A microphone and nothing else

There are no costumes and no fourth wall: the comedian is on stage as herself, and the audience is her interlocutor. Anyone used to theatrical comedy will find a different rhythm, closer to a conversation than to a performance.

The audience in the hall

In stand-up the audience is part of the show: laughter, silences, sometimes answers to questions from the stage change the rhythm of the evening. Sitting in the front rows means accepting the possibility of being pulled into the act.

The language

The register of stand-up is direct, often explicit. The announced themes for Io me lo merito, from sex to therapy, confirm it: it is an evening for adults.

Who is Carlotta Spallino: biography

Carlotta Spallino is a Roman comedian born in 1991: second of three children, she describes herself as a proud representative of the middle-child category, and has turned victimhood, insecurity and questionable choices into comic material.

The middle child

Her biography insists on a family detail: second of three children, she presents herself as a proud representative of middle children. It is a key to her comedy, made of declared victimhood and self-irony, the position of someone who in the family has to get noticed between the first and the last, and has learned to do it by telling stories.

Before comedy

Before going on stage she worked for years in international organizations. It is a path shared by many comedians of her generation: arriving at stand-up from another profession, bringing along an outside point of view on the world of entertainment.

The Accademia del Comico

In 2021 she began her path in stand-up comedy at the Accademia del Comico. On stage she tells, without filters, bad breakups, contemporary anxieties, improbable friendships and all those small failures that, with hindsight, are funny.

LOL Talent Show

In 2024 she took part in LOL Talent Show 2, Chi fa ridere è dentro, on Amazon Prime Video: the program born from the LOL format that looks for new comic talents. It is the showcase that made her known to the national public.

The first one-hour show

Io me lo merito is her first one-hour show, produced by Altra Scena. The step from short sets, of 10 or 15 minutes, to a one-hour monologue is for a stand-up comedian what the first album is for a musician: proof that the material can carry a whole evening.

A curiosity about Carlotta Spallino in Io me lo merito at Teatro Sala Umberto, March 13, 2027

The most interesting curiosity is the contrast between the show and the hall that hosts it. Sala Umberto was born in 1882 for concerts, operettas and comedies, and in 1928 the Marino brothers, already owners of Salone Margherita, turned it into a variety theater, with comedians, chanteuses and vedettes. Almost a century later, on the same stage, steps a comedian who talks about therapy, dates gone wrong and mansplaining. Variety presented women on stage as attractions. Stand-up puts them at the microphone, telling their own version of the facts.

The second curiosity is the poster. The show's official image shows the comedian seated on a large brown leather Chesterfield sofa, in a dark dress and sneakers, with one arm resting on the back and a relaxed smile. It is the iconography of the living room at home, and at the same time of the psychologist's office: the couch you sit on to tell your troubles, which is exactly what a stand-up comedian does.

The third concerns the title. Io me lo merito is the phrase with which you grant yourself a reward, a purchase, another drink. In the presentation it becomes a collective closing: we deserve it. From singular to plural, the comedian turns a private self-absolution into a statement of generation.

Sala Umberto, the theater on Via della Mercede

Teatro Sala Umberto has 485 seats in a rectangular hall with a sloping stalls area and a balcony. Born in 1882 on the ground floor of a building on Via della Mercede, it has been artistically directed by Alessandro Longobardi since 2002.

From 1882 to variety

The hall was commissioned by Andrea Busiri Vici and decorated by Alessandro Bazzani. It hosted concerts, operettas and comedies. In 1890 the architect Giulio Podesti enlarged it to 650 seats, and in 1913 it became a movie theater. In 1928 the Marino brothers brought it back to variety and gave it the king's name.

From cinema to drama

Around 1930 cinema returned. In 1981 the hall reopened as a theater with the Ente teatrale italiano, in 1991 it went back to cinema, and since 2002 it has been steadily a theater, with drama, comedy, music and shows for young audiences.

A hall suited to stand-up

The intimate dimensions are an advantage for a monologue: the voice carries without effort even to the balcony, and the comedian can see the reactions of the front rows. Stand-up was born in small venues, and a hall with fewer than 500 seats keeps its intimacy.

A thing nobody tells you about Carlotta Spallino in Io me lo merito at Teatro Sala Umberto, March 13, 2027

What isn't said is that for a Roman comedian the date at Sala Umberto has the value of an evening at home. Spallino was born in Rome in 1991 and began in 2021, at the Accademia del Comico: in five years she has gone from the stages of open nights to a historic theater in the center, with a show all her own. In the stalls, on a Saturday night, there will likely be part of the audience that saw her grow in the city's clubs.

The second thing concerns the seats. The price difference between stalls and balcony is €6: in an evening of stand-up, where the relationship with the person speaking is everything, in our view it is worth spending it. From the stalls you see the expression of the face, which in storytelling comedy does half the work.

The third is a matter of content: the monologue talks openly about sex, therapy and medical diagnoses. It is not a family show, and anyone thinking of bringing teenage children would do well to know that beforehand.

How to get to Sala Umberto

Sala Umberto is inside the ZTL of the historic center: you get there by metro A, getting off at Spagna or Barberini and continuing on foot for about 10 minutes.

From Spagna or Barberini

From Spagna you cross the square and take Via di Propaganda toward Sant'Andrea delle Fratte. From Barberini you go down Via del Tritone and turn toward Via della Mercede. The routes are flat or slightly downhill.

By bus

Many surface lines run along Via del Tritone and Via del Corso: for the exact route it's best to use the Atac planner, which takes into account the detours in the center, frequent on Saturday nights.

By car and taxi

Leave the car outside the ZTL, in the garage parking lots. On the way out, after 22:30, a taxi is the most convenient option, and Piazza San Silvestro is an easy spot to name.

The advice I give you for seeing Carlotta Spallino in Io me lo merito at Teatro Sala Umberto, March 13, 2027

The advice is to buy early. A single date, on a Saturday night, in a 485-seat hall, for a Roman comedian with an audience grown on social media and in the city's clubs: these are the conditions in which the best seats go first. It's best to book well in advance and choose the stalls.

The second piece of advice concerns how to get there. March 13 is a Saturday: the historic center will be crowded, the streets around Trevi and Piazza di Spagna full of visitors. Getting off at the Spagna metro and walking to Via della Mercede takes 10 minutes, but on a Saturday it's better to allow 20.

The third concerns the evening. In our view the best way to see Io me lo merito is with friends of the same generation: the show is about today's thirtysomethings, and recognizing yourself in the stories, looking at who sits next to you, is half the fun. On the way out, a drink nearby closes the evening in the spirit of the title.

Another well-known fact, yet rarely mentioned

It is well known that stand-up comedy in Italy has grown a lot in recent years, thanks to social media, platforms and TV programs. It is mentioned less often how much the female presence in this genre has changed: comedians who tell in the first person about relationships, the body and mental health, in a language that until a few years ago would have been considered impossible on a theater stage. Io me lo merito belongs to this season.

A second little-cited fact concerns Sala Umberto: the name does not come from an impresario, but from the king. In 1928 the Marino brothers, bringing it back to variety, named it after Umberto, in homage to the ruling house. Since then the name has remained, through cinema, the closure, the reopening of 1981 and the definitive one of 2002.

The third concerns Spallino's path: arriving at comedy from a career in international organizations is not an exception, but a frequent trajectory in stand-up, which values precisely life experience outside entertainment. Office work, meetings, professional relationships become stage material.

The right photo to take at Carlotta Spallino in Io me lo merito at Teatro Sala Umberto, March 13, 2027

During the show you don't take photos or film: in stand-up the jokes are the comedian's assets, and a video uploaded online burns the material for later dates. The right photo is taken before and after.

The best one is taken on Via della Mercede, from the opposite sidewalk, with the sign of Sala Umberto and the poster of Io me lo merito, with the leather couch. Leave space above for the facade of the building that houses the theater: it tells of a Rome of theaters hidden on ground floors, far from the postcards.

On the way out, after 22:30, a few minutes' walk away is the lit Trevi Fountain, with the crowd thinning: it remains the Roman image par excellence, and for a March Saturday night it's the right closing. Alternatively, the staircase of Trinità dei Monti, with the night lights above Piazza di Spagna.

Around Sala Umberto: the Colonna district

Via della Mercede is in the Colonna district, between the Trevi Fountain and Piazza di Spagna, a stone's throw from Via del Corso.

The nearby churches

A few meters away is Piazza San Silvestro, with San Silvestro in Capite. A little farther up, on Via di Capo le Case, is Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, with Borromini's dome and bell tower and Bernini's angels.

Piazza Colonna and the Galleria

Along Via del Corso you reach Piazza Colonna, with the Column of Marcus Aurelius and Palazzo Chigi, and Galleria Alberto Sordi, useful on rainy evenings.

Teatro Quirino

10 minutes away on foot is Teatro Quirino: if you are staying in Rome for a few days you can alternate drama and comedy without taking any transport.

Some important events that happened here in history

Sala Umberto was born in 1882, on the ground floor of a building on Via della Mercede, at the wish of Andrea Busiri Vici, with interiors decorated by Alessandro Bazzani: concerts, operettas, comedies. In 1890 the architect Giulio Podesti enlarged it to 650 seats, and perhaps in that period it was known as Sala della Piccola Borsa. In 1913 it became a movie theater, like many halls in Italian cities in those years.

In 1928 the Marino brothers, owners of Salone Margherita, brought it back to the stage with variety and named it after the king: Sala Umberto. For a couple of years comedians, chanteuses and vedettes performed there. Around 1930 cinema returned, and stayed for half a century.

In 1981 the hall reopened as a theater after a renovation, under the direction of the Ente teatrale italiano and with a drama program. In 1991 it went back to cinema. Since 2002, under the artistic direction of Alessandro Longobardi, it has been steadily a theater. Stand-up comedy, which this season takes up several evenings of the calendar, is at bottom the direct heir of that variety of the 1920s: a solo artist, an audience, and laughter as the only measure of success.

Who has passed through Carlotta Spallino in Io me lo merito at Teatro Sala Umberto, March 13, 2027

Through Sala Umberto passed, between the two wars, the variety artists hired by the Marino brothers: comedians, chanteuses, vedettes, the same world that animated Salone Margherita. The sources do not preserve a reliable list of names, but the picture is of a Rome that went in the evening to Via della Mercede to listen to songs and jokes.

Since 2002 the hall has hosted mostly drama, comedy and music. In the 2026/2027 season, on its stage pass, among others, Francesco De Gregori with his autumn concerts, Francesco Montanari with Storia di un cinghiale, Giulio Corso and Federica De Benedittis with Cime Tempestose. A few days before Spallino, on March 8, the same hall hosts Barutz with his character Nonna Marisa.

On March 13, 2027 Carlotta Spallino passes through Via della Mercede, with her historic exes, her passive-aggressive psychologists and the plants she must not let die. And behind her passes a generation of thirtysomethings who recognize themselves in the title.

How to plan the Saturday night

A stand-up evening at Sala Umberto fits well into a Saturday in the historic center: an afternoon on foot among the squares, an early dinner, the show at 21:00 and a last stroll among the lit fountains.

The afternoon

With the good March weather, the afternoon can be spent between Piazza di Spagna and Trinità dei Monti, then walking down Via del Corso to Piazza Colonna. These are short routes, all within a quarter of an hour's walk from the theater.

The rhythm of the evening

It's best to set dinner around 19:15, on one of the nearby streets, to be on Via della Mercede at 20:40. After the show the center is still alive, and getting back by taxi from Piazza San Silvestro or by metro from Spagna or Barberini is easy. For the last metro run, the reference is the Atac website.

In company

Stand-up is enjoyed better in company: laughter is contagious, and recognizing yourself in the stories of the person on stage, looking at the friends sitting next to you, is part of the fun. Anyone booking for several people should make the purchase in a single transaction, to get seats together.

Sala Umberto today: how it's laid out and what it offers

Today's Sala Umberto is a 485-seat theater with a broad program, which alongside the drama season offers comedy, music, theater for young audiences and training activities.

The stalls and the balcony

The hall is rectangular, with the stalls sloping down toward the stage and a balcony at the back. For Io me lo merito the theater sells two sections, poltrona A in the stalls and balconata A: the sloping stalls guarantee a good view even from the middle rows, while the balcony offers an overview at a lower price.

A broad program

The theater's website arranges the offer in several sections: the season, theater for young audiences, training, a space dedicated to art and series like Grandi autori and Nuova drammaturgia. Stand-up comedy fits into this picture as one of the souls of the calendar, alongside drama and concerts.

A theater in the center

Unlike many venues that host stand-up, often peripheral clubs, Sala Umberto is a historic theater a few steps from Trevi. For an audience that follows comedy in clubs, it's a chance to see the same language in a different setting, with velvet seats instead of small tables.

Stalls or balcony: how to choose your seat

For Io me lo merito Sala Umberto sells only two sections, poltrona A at €22 and balconata A at €16: the choice depends on how you want to experience the evening.

The stalls

In the stalls you are close to the microphone, you see the expressions and you take part in the dialogue with the stage, which in stand-up is part of the show. It is the right choice for those who already know the comedian from videos and want to see her up close, and for those who aren't afraid of being pulled into a joke.

The balcony

From the balcony you look at the scene from above, with the stalls below: you lose something of the face, but you gain the sight of the hall laughing. For those going to a stand-up show for the first time who prefer to observe rather than take part, it's a sensible choice, and it costs less.

A single date

With a single performance, there is no second chance to fix an uncomfortable seat: it's best to decide early and buy right away, before the stalls fill up.

From the short set to the one-hour show

For a stand-up comedian the first one-hour show is a career step: it means having built enough material, and enough audience, to carry a whole evening with your own name on the bill.

The open nights

The typical path begins with short sets in multi-act nights, where each comedian has a few minutes. That is where jokes are tried in front of an audience, polished, discarded. Carlotta Spallino began in 2021: Io me lo merito comes after five years of this work.

A single story

A one-hour show asks for something more than a series of jokes: a thread, a recognizable point of view. The production describes it as an autobiographical journey, and the presentation holds it together with a question: how do you get out of it?

Where to eat before or after the show

The Colonna district offers every kind of dining. On Saturday night it's best to book and move a few streets away from the most touristy ones.

Before 21:00

With a 21:00 start, dinner around 19:15 on the streets between Via della Mercede, Via del Pozzetto and Via della Vite leaves time to reach the hall without rushing.

After the show

On Saturday night many kitchens in the center stay open even after 22:30. For a glass, there are the wine bars between Via del Corso and Piazza di Spagna. In the spirit of the title, you deserve another drink.

Accessibility, recommended age and practical information

For the accessibility of Sala Umberto for people with reduced mobility and for access to the balcony, it's best to contact the theater's box office, at 06 6794753, before purchase.

Age

Io me lo merito deals with adult themes, from sex to therapy, in the direct language of stand-up. In our view it suits an audience from 18 years up, or older teenagers used to comedy online.

Phones and filming

At stand-up nights it's good practice to keep your phone off: filming disturbs those on stage and the audience nearby, and comedians care a lot about not seeing their material online before its time.

Mid-March in Rome: a week of stand-up

The second week of March 2027 in Rome is rich in live comedy, and Carlotta Spallino's Saturday is its last appointment.

The other evenings

On March 7 and 8 Michela Giraud is at Teatro Brancaccio with her new show, on March 8 Barutz brings Nonna Marisa to Sala Umberto, and on March 9 Pierluca Mariti is at Ambra Jovinelli. Anyone who loves the genre can put together a whole week of stand-up, from one hall to another.

The weather

In mid-March the evenings are still cool: a heavy jacket for the walk from the metro, to be left at the coat check, is the most sensible choice.

Frequently asked questions about Io me lo merito

When is Io me lo merito by Carlotta Spallino on in Rome?

Carlotta Spallino brings Io me lo merito to Teatro Sala Umberto in Rome on Saturday, March 13, 2027 at 21:00. It is the only date listed on the theater's official page.

How much are tickets for Carlotta Spallino at Sala Umberto?

Tickets for Carlotta Spallino at Sala Umberto cost €22 in poltrona A and €16 in balconata A, according to the official page. They are bought on the theater's website or at the box office, also with the teacher card.

What is Io me lo merito about?

Io me lo merito is a stand-up monologue in which Carlotta Spallino recounts the emotional disaster of thirtysomethings: bad breakups, psychologists, improbable dates, historic exes and surreal diagnoses, in an ironic and cynical tone.

Who is Carlotta Spallino?

Carlotta Spallino is a Roman comedian born in 1991. After years of working in international organizations she began stand-up in 2021 at the Accademia del Comico, and in 2024 she took part in LOL Talent Show 2 on Prime Video.

Where is Teatro Sala Umberto?

Teatro Sala Umberto is at Via della Mercede 50, in the Colonna district, between Piazza di Spagna and the Trevi Fountain. The most convenient stops are Spagna and Barberini on metro A, and the theater is in the ZTL.

Is the show suitable for kids?

Carlotta Spallino's show at Sala Umberto deals with adult themes in the direct language of stand-up comedy. In our view it suits an audience of adults, or older teenagers already used to the genre.

Final advice on Io me lo merito

A Roman comedian at her first one-hour show, a single date on a Saturday night, a hall in the center born for variety: Io me lo merito has all the ingredients of an evening to book right away. The advice is to choose the stalls, arrive early through a crowded center and, on the way out, take a short walk to the Trevi Fountain before the last drink.

Article written by the editorial team of Tour Leader Pro, contact them for Private/Corporate/V.I.P. Tours and Experiences.

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